Genealogical notes of Barnstable families - citizen hylbom blog

154 GENEALOGICAL NOTES OF BARNSTABLE FAMILIES.
into the regions of romance for incidents—the 8ober records of history,
and the traditionary lore preserved in the archives of memory,
would furnish him with ample materials. The story of the courtship
and marriage of David Linuei and Hannah Shelly had a romantic
interest, and if we could divest it of some of the homely phrases,
which Puritan clerks have entwined around it, it would embody
quite as much poetic feeling as that of John Alden and Priscilla
Mullins, whose loves are immortalized in the poem of Longfellow.
Most fortunately for the genius and reputation of the poet, paper
and ink were not so abundant when Priscilla courted John, as at
that later period when David and Hannah loved and married. John
had no fear of incurring the penalty of the old law respecting the
"enveagleingof men's daughters and maids under guardians," because
Priscilla "made the motion of marriage" against which no
law has been made to this day. The Pilgrim fathers enacted,
"That if any shall make any motion of marriage to any man's
daughter, or mayde servant, not haveing first obtayned leave and
consent of the parents or master so to doe, shall be punished
either by fine or corporall punishment or both at the discretions of
the bench." Under this law David and Hannah were censured by
the church, and condemned by the magistrates to suffer its penal-
ties.
That most eccentric personage, Rebecca Blush, was also one
of the Linnel family. The Curiosity Shop created by the inventive
genius of Dickens was an inattractive collection when compared
with "Aunt Beck's Museum." This has already been described,
and the story need not be repeated.
Elisha Linnel of Yarmouth, a second edition of Sir John
Fallstaflf, was of this family. His eccentricities and witty
sayings are remembered. In most of the Barnstable families the
characteristic peculiarities of the ancestor have been transmitted
down to the present generation. This remark will not apply to
the Linnel family.
David Linnell, son of Robert, was able to bear arms in 1643,
consequently was born as early as 1627. He was married March
9, 1652-3, by Thomas Hinckley, Esq., to Hannah Shelley, a
daughter of Robert Shelley, and then in the sixteenth yfear of her
age. Our ancestors encouraged early marriages. He who married
at eighteen was admitted to all the privileges, and required
to perform all the duties of a citizen ; while, he that remained
single, had to tarry till he was twenty-four to be enrolled as a
townsman. At the present time the public policy on which such
laws were based, is not very apparent. Our fathers, however,
did not act from blind impulse—they had reasons for acting,
reasons that were cogent, strong, and in their judgments conclusive
for thus discriminating ; some were founded on the circumstances
and necessities of the times—some on natural laws, which